Prepare for GATE
A three-hour, 65-question computer-based test in February for M.Tech admission and PSU recruitment — the marking scheme, the paper choice, and a 6–8 month plan.
GATE is organised each year by one of the IITs (IIT Guwahati for 2026) for the IITs and IISc jointly, and its score doubles as a recruitment filter for public-sector companies. The paper is long on concepts and short on tricks, which makes it one of the fairest exams to prepare for — provided you respect the marking scheme.
Choose your paper (or two)
Register on the GATE Online Application Processing System
Cover the syllabus with one source per subject
Practise with the marking scheme in mind
Exam day
Use the score
Questions
- What is the pattern?
- 65 questions, 100 marks, 3 hours, computer-based: 10 General Aptitude questions (15 marks) and 55 from the chosen paper (85 marks). Question types are MCQ, MSQ and NAT.
- Negative marking?
- MCQ only: −⅓ for a 1-mark question, −⅔ for a 2-mark question. No negative for MSQ or NAT.
- How long is the score valid?
- Three years from the result date for admissions; PSUs usually require the current year's score.
Sources
The numbers above come from these pages. If a fee or date here disagrees with the source, the source wins.
See also
Crack JEE (Main and Advanced)
A JEE Advanced rank for IIT admission via JoSAA, or a JEE Main rank for NITs, IIITs and GFTIs
12–24 months of preparation · JEE Main ₹1,000 · 6 stepsPrepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination
A final rank allocating IAS, IPS, IFS and other Group A/B services
12–18 months of preparation · ₹100 application fee · 8 steps